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Other Cardiff events

If reefs could talk, what stories would they tell?

Please note that this event takes place on the first floor and has no step-free access.
Past event - 2018
14 May 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm (doors open @ 7.00pm)
The Big Top at 10 Feet Tall, 11A-12 Church St ,
Cardiff CF10 1BG
Sold Out!
Coral reefs are overflowing with tales of past environmental change. Join us to explore how we can unlock their secrets and what they can tell us about climate and human migration in the past. This night is kindly sponsored by the Cardiff University School of Earth and Ocean Sciences. 

Clams, climate and the colonisation of Remote Oceania

Dr Eleanor John (Research Associate in School of Earth and Ocean Sciences)
The seafaring feats of those who first set foot on the Pacific islands has long fascinated adventurers and anthropologists alike. Genetics tells us that these islanders came from Asia rather than South America.  But why did they wait over 35, 000 years to migrate further east than Papua New Guinea and colonise Remote Oceania?  And what triggered this sudden pulse of migration?  Giant clams give us clues into past climates, which allow us to answer these questions. Help us bring together the sciences and humanities as we boldly attempt to solve the mysteries of the Pacific voyagers!

Unlocking environmental histories: A tale from corals

Dr Sindia Sosdian (Lecturer in School of Earth and Ocean Sciences)
Coral reefs are some of our planets most important ecosystems. They provide shoreline protection, tourism, and food to millions of people. In addition, their massive skeletons also lock up secrets of past environmental change.  Thousands of tiny animals called coral polyps build the coral skeleton depositing yearly bands, similarly to the rings added during growth in trees. This talk explores the history of tropical mega-earthquakes and deforestation recorded in the growth and chemistry locked inside these extremely important creatures.
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